Compounds having Formula 1 wherein the symbols have the meaning defined in the specification are inhibitors of the cytochrome P450RAI (retinoic acid inducible) enzyme, and are used for treating diseases responsive to treatment by retinoids. ##STR1##
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/829,098, filed on Apr. 9, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,135 which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/651,235 filed on Aug. 29, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,252,090.
The invention provides methods for treating an individual having a retinoid responsive disorder. In one embodiment, a method involves administering to the individual an effective amount of a selective CYP26B inhibitor, the selective CYP26B inhibitor having at least 10-fold selectivity for CYP26B relative to CYP26A. In another embodiment, a method involves administering to the individual an effective amount of a selective CYP26A inhibitor, the selective CYP26A inhibitor having a chemical formula set forth in the specification. The invention further provides screening methods for identifying a selective CYP26A inhibitor or selective CYP26B inhibitor.
